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Welcome, Stranger

This post is written in response to the yesterday’s DP Challenge “Welcome Stranger“.

Today is Eid-ul-Adha, a festival of Muslims which is celebrated for three days once a year. Pakistan is predominantly an Islamic state so this religious festival is celebrated with great zeal here. Wherever the sight goes a river of blood is splashing down the street. Some people can’t handle the sight of blood so I wonder how would a stranger react if he happens to have a a stroll by one of the blood-red streets of the country? There are chances that he may misunderstand us to be the primitive, savage and blood-thirsty people but actually it isn’t. We sacrifice our beloved animals to show our affection to our God.

Every festival has its history and so it has. One of the most notable prophets of Allah, Ibrahim (A.S), was ordered by Allah in his dream to sacrifice his son in Allah’s name. The next day, when he was about to sacrifice his son, Ismail (A.S), an angel came up to him and replaced little Ismail with a sheep and so Ibrahim slaughtered a sheep instead. Allah liked this steadfastness of Ibrahim (A.S) so much that He made it obligatory for us Muslims to make such an offering to Allah once every year in his Khalil’s (friend’s) remembrance. So, we fulfill His Sunnah, known as Sunnat-e-Ibrahimi.

Our country gives a beautiful sight these days. Every street is overloaded with beautiful goats, sheep, cows and camels which often cause the road to block but the passers-by don’t really mind. They just coax the animals and change their route, such is the love and harmony the festival creates. But above and beyond everything else, the most interesting thing of this festival is when the butcher comes with his gang and they surround a bull and an excited crowd surrounds them, jumping, cheering, pumping fists in the air. The last struggle of the tied up beast to freed itself from the locks of rope is a spectacular thing to watch. I took a bunch of pictures to send it to my cousins who live in America. I am uploading them here as well. Hope u will enjoy them!